‘Once A Teenager Realizes That You Don’t Really Have Any Power Over Them, It’s A Free For All’

Bill and Jen say their daughters, Emma, 18, and Meredith, 16, get away with breaking all the rules. They claim the girls are addicted to marijuana, take their parents cars without permission; have shoplifted, stolen from family members, and have become physically violent with them, with Jen’s dad, and with each other.

Bill says he feels that he can’t discipline the girls because they’ve called the police and threatened to have him charged with domestic abuse in the past.

Jen says they didn’t spank the girls, growing up, because they don’t believe in physical punishment. She says they usually ground them and take away their phones.

“If they feel that our punishment is fair, they’ll go along with it for a day, maybe two days, and then as soon as they feel like they’ve paid the price, then they’re like, no, we’re not, we’re not staying here. We’re leaving. We’re out of here,” says Jen.

“Honestly,” she continues, “once a teenager realizes that you don’t really have any power over them, it’s a free for all.”

Why does Emma say she doesn’t think their behaviors are “that bad?” Part one of this two-part Dr. Philairs Monday.